REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS
PLAN
QUEENSLAND – FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND
AND TORRES STRAIT
2012 – 2014
JULY 2013
This plan was first published in July 2012. This is the July 2013 edition.
Details in this report are correct at time of drafting.
This report can be found at the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs webpage (www.deewr.gov.au/resj) or the
My Region website (www.myregion.gov.au).
For more information about this plan, please contact:
The Office of Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
GPO Box 9880
Canberra ACT 2601
Email: oresj@deewr.gov.au
ISBN:
978-0-642-78641-8 [PDF]
978-0-642-78642-5 [DOCX]
With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and where otherwise noted all material presented in this
document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/).
The details of the relevant licence conditions (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcode) are
available on the Creative Commons website (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the
CC BY 3.0 AU licence.
The document must be attributed as the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan 2012-14 – Far North Queensland
and Torres Strait.
Disclaimer about data used in this plan
Data used in the development of this plan comes from a variety of sources and was correct at time of drafting. This
document should not be used as a data source as data referred to may have been updated or reformulated since
the publication of the plan. Refer to primary sources for confirmation of data.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 2
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CONTENTS
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans ................................................................................ 4
Strategies .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Community engagement........................................................................................................................... 4
Implementation ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Executive summary ................................................................................................................ 5
Characteristics of the region ................................................................................................... 8
Population ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Early childhood education and care .......................................................................................................... 8
School education ....................................................................................................................................... 9
Tertiary education and training ................................................................................................................ 9
Jobs, skills and workforce development ................................................................................................. 10
Other characteristics ............................................................................................................................... 12
Issues, goals and strategies ................................................................................................... 13
Issue 1 The availability of adequate, affordable and quality early childhood education and care
places to improve child development outcomes. ................................................................................... 14
Issue 2
Retention in education and improvement of transition pathways for school leavers. .......... 15
Issue 3 Closing the Gap for Indigenous Australians, in particular increasing education and
employment outcomes for Indigenous people, including those in remote communities. .................... 17
Issue 4 The need to improve access to, and information about, Australian Government programs
that provide support for businesses, particularly in regard to workforce training and development. .. 18
Issue 5 Disadvantaged people, including youth, the long-term unemployed and Indigenous
Australians, face challenges in actively participating in, and benefiting from, the regional economy. . 19
Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix A — Stakeholders .................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies ............................................................................... 21
Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 26
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 3
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REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLANS
The Australian Government announced the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans initiative in the
2011–12 Budget, as part of the Building Australia’s Future Workforce package. The initiative addresses
four key areas of the Australian Government’s productivity and social inclusion agendas: early childhood
education and care; Year 12 attainment; participation in vocational and higher education; and local job
opportunities.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has deployed 34 Regional
Education, Skills and Jobs (RESJ) Coordinators to work with local stakeholders to develop Regional
Education, Skills and Jobs Plans for the 46 Regional Development Australia (RDA) areas that cover nonmetropolitan Australia.
The plans present locally identified opportunities and challenges and outline local strategies to improve
education, skills and jobs outcomes in regional Australia.
For more information, including the contact details of your local RESJ Coordinator, please refer to the
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs webpage at www.deewr.gov.au/resj.
Strategies
Each plan reflects community priorities and includes goals and local strategies to achieve the
community’s objectives, based on four key themes: early childhood education and care; school
education; tertiary education and training; and jobs, skills and workforce development.
The plans build on the range of services and programs already offered by DEEWR and the strategies draw
on the programs of other government agencies and the opportunities arising from major local projects.
Community engagement
The plans were developed by RESJ Coordinators with close community engagement and include views
from young people, parents, employers, educators, service providers, peak bodies, community leaders,
government organisations and agencies, and other interested individuals and organisations. The plans
draw strongly upon existing strategic plans in each region, including the local RDA regional plan.
DEEWR acknowledges the traditional owners of the Far North Queensland and Torres Strait RDA region
and their elders past and present recognising their continuing connection to country. This plan strives to
build and harness mutually respectful relationships and reflect community priorities in education, skills
and jobs development for the region.
Implementation
The RESJ Coordinator, on behalf of DEEWR, will oversee the implementation of the strategies and
promote and coordinate linkages between the government agencies, providers and stakeholders
involved in this plan’s implementation.
Progress towards achieving the goals within each plan will be closely monitored, while stakeholders will
be kept informed through participation in plan strategies.
This edition incorporates strategies that respond to changes in local circumstances identified through
continuing community input or changing government priorities in regional Australia as well as access to
new data. The plans continue to be living and responsive documents that will be revisited throughout
their implementation to June 2014.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 4
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Far North Queensland and Torres Strait region covers a total area of 273,157 square kilometres or
15.8 per cent of Queensland’s total area and is the gateway to two of Australia’s national environmental
heritage treasures – the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforests.
The region consists of 19 Local Government Areas: Aurukun Shire, Cairns Regional Council, Cassowary
Coast Regional Council, Cook Shire, Croydon Shire, Etheridge Shire, Hope Vale Shire, Kowanyama Shire,
Lockhart River Shire, Mapoon Shire, Napranum Shire, Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council,
Pormpuraaw Shire, Tablelands Regional Council, Torres Shire, Torres Strait Island Regional Council,
Weipa Town, Wujal Wujal Shire and Yarrabah Shire.
The vast land area, dispersed population, narrow economic base highly reliant on tourism and the
presence of a large Indigenous population living in very remote locations present challenges in
employment and in servicing the region.
The natural attributes of a tropical climate, the rich diversity of World Heritage environmental assets,
emerging tropical expertise and increasing emphasis on sustainability and a clean energy future coupled
with an enduring, diverse Indigenous heritage provide unique opportunities.
Federal and state tourism ministers have identified tropical North Queensland as a ‘hot spot’ for the
development of a Tourism Employment Plan commencing in December 2012. The Tourism Employment
Plan will deliver practical, cost effective solutions to address immediate to mid-term labour and skills
shortages. Contractors will be engaged to work with the local tourism industry and local government
agencies to link tourism and hospitality firms with existing and prospective government and industry
programs.
As part of the National Resource Sector Workforce Strategy, a Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) Coordinator has been
appointed for two years to make it easier for people to take advantage of the mining and resources
industry boom.
Within the region there are two DEEWR employment service areas: Cairns and Far North.
The Far North Queensland and Torres Strait region has an RDA Committee with a broad plan that
includes opportunities for education, skills and employment. Part of the region also falls within the
Cairns priority employment area, which has a Local Employment Coordinator (LEC) in place. The Far
North Queensland and Torres Strait RESJ Plan complements the existing goals and strategies in the RDA
Plan and the LEC’s Regional Employment Plan. It also aligns with Tropical North Queensland Regional
Economic Plan.
The RDA Far North Queensland and Torres Strait Regional Roadmap has the following priorities:
 economic vitality
 world-class, sustainable natural and cultural resource management
 visionary and enabling built infrastructure
 inclusive planning and delivery of community services
 people empowered through knowledge and skills
 reconceptualised regionalism.
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A comprehensive environmental scan and community consultations have been carried out to identify the
key education, skills and jobs challenges for the region. The challenges include:

availability of adequate, affordable and quality early childhood education and care places

increasing the number of people who remain in education and improving transition pathways for
school leavers

meeting Closing the Gap targets for Indigenous Australians, in particular increasing education
and employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including those in
remote communities

the need to improve access to, and information about, Australian Government programs that
provide support for businesses, particularly in regard to workforce training and development

disadvantaged people, including youth, the long-term unemployed and Indigenous Australians,
face challenges in actively participating in, and benefiting from, the regional economy.
The key goals of the RESJ Plan are to:

increase awareness among parents, particularly in remote communities, of the long-term
benefits of early childhood education

develop the region’s early childhood education and care workforce to meet the National
Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education targets, including the professional
development necessary to meet National Quality Framework reforms

establish regional partnerships and structures that enable effective and tailored school retention
and work transition options for students

increase employment opportunities specifically targeted at Indigenous job seekers, especially in
larger infrastructure/capital works projects

assist employers to participate in supporting employment and skilling opportunities to develop
the local workforce and utilise existing government programs

help people in disadvantaged groups to take up opportunities in expanding industries, including
mining, marine, aviation, tropical expertise, health and community services.
Some outcomes achieved by the RESJ Coordinator working with local stakeholders include:

Facilitated funding for 35 current and previous Indigenous students from three high schools to
undertake a learner driver course to attain a Learner’s Permit, helping to address the significant
barrier of transport for students to access employment or post school study.

Coordinated a program for Year 11 and 12 Indigenous students at risk of disengaging from
education to undertake training and work placements to attain a Certificate I in Construction.
Nine of the 14 students completed the Certificate I, three of these were offered apprenticeships
and the remainder are continuing their school education.
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
Co-facilitated two Jobs and Information Workshops in Cairns for Queensland Workers which
provided 44 redundant Queensland Government employees with an overview of the local labour
market, assistance available from the Department of Human Services and professional
recruitment advice from the local Job Services Australia provider.

Secured mentoring opportunities for apprentices employed by small business to improve their
retention of apprentices. Twenty Cairns employers along with 40 employers from Cassowary
Coast have registered for apprentice mentoring with employers also enrolling to undertake
mentoring training.

Identified good practice in Vocational Education and Training (VET) coordination in schools to
influence schools’ uptake of vocational programs. Fourteen State High Schools have now
adopted the model of employing full time VET Coordinators.

Promoted programs available to assist a local preparatory kindergarten with a large Indigenous
cohort to meet the up skilling requirements of the National Quality Framework for Early
Childhood Education and Care. Three unqualified carers are undertaking a Certificate III in
Children’s Services and three qualified carers are undertaking a Diploma of Children’s Services.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION
This section sets out the characteristics of the region identified through a comprehensive environmental
scan and local consultations. The information detailed in this section is not exhaustive of the
characteristics of the region, but provides an overview and insight to some of the challenges facing the
region.
To guide the RESJ Coordinator’s identification of issues and engagement with the community, various
data sets have supported the development of this plan. Data used in the development of this plan was
sourced from DEEWR, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and other relevant sources. Data referred
to may have been reformulated and was correct at time of drafting. Different data sets are refreshed at
different intervals, for example, unemployment rates are updated monthly for national and
state/territory figures and quarterly for regions.
Population
According to the 2011 Census, the region has an estimated resident population of 265,945 people,
5.9 per cent of the state’s population. The Queensland Office of Economic and Statistical Research has
anticipated the region will grow to 372,561 people by 2031.
At the time of the 2011 Census, 38,696 people in the region (15.2% of the total population) stated they
were of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin. This is a relatively high proportion when compared to
the national rate of 2.5 per cent. The age profile of the Indigenous population is younger than that of the
general population and many Indigenous people reside in discrete communities in remote locations in
Cape York and in the Torres Strait area.
The proportion of people aged less than 14 years in the region is higher than the state average and the
proportion of people aged over 65 years is lower than the state average.
Early childhood education and care
The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) measures young children’s development across five
domains: physical health and well-being; social competence; emotional maturity; school-based language
and cognitive skills; and general knowledge. 2009 AEDI data indicated at a national level, 23.6 per cent of
children were vulnerable on one or more domain and 11.8 per cent were vulnerable on two or more
domains. The AEDI found that in the Far North Queensland and Torres Strait RDA region, the
communities of Cook, Heberton and Torres had the highest proportions of vulnerable children. However,
all AEDI communities demonstrated vulnerability rates higher than the national averages on both
measures.
The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) operates in Manoora (north of
Cairns). HIPPY supports parents and children in the year before formal education with pre-literacy and
pre-numeracy skills. Further support into the first year of formal schooling extends this support to focus
on children’s learning and development.
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School education
At the time of the 2011 Census, according to the Office of Economic and Statistical Research, 97,473
people aged 15 years and over stated that their highest level of schooling was Year 11 or 12 (or
equivalent). This was 51.1 per cent of all people aged 15 years and over. The corresponding figure for
Queensland as a whole was 55.3 per cent.
The 2012 Next Step Survey conducted by the Queensland Department of Education, Training and
Employment shows that school graduates from the Far North Queensland and Torres Strait region were
less likely to enter university than were graduates from the state as a whole (28.2% compared to 38.4%).
They were also less likely to enter campus-based vocational education and training (10.4 per cent with
the state having 13.1 per cent of graduates entering such training). In addition, the region experiences
high rates of attrition among students who enrol in Year 10 but leave school before they complete Year
12. This indicates a need across the region for strategies to improve both school retention and successful
transition to post-school pathways.
For significant numbers of the region’s students, especially those from Cape York, Torres Strait or other
remote areas, there is no option but to leave home at the completion of Year 7 to attend high school. For
many Indigenous students, completion rates are low and there are high rates of disengagement from
education. Cape York students can complete schooling to Year 12 at Cooktown, Northern Peninsula Area
College in Bamaga, Western Cape College at Weipa and Tagai State College on Thursday Island.
There are a number of Trade Training Centres in the Far North Queensland and Torres Strait region. The
Trade Training Centres in Schools program provides opportunities for students to stay in school and
commence on a pathway to employment, improving Year 12 retention and career aspirations.
Western Cape College and Tagai State College were recently invited to take part in the Indigenous
Ranger Cadetship (IRC) pilot. The IRC pilot is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to
Building Australia’s Future Workforce and aims to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young
people complete school and encourage further study, training, jobs and careers in land, sea and natural
resource management. The pilot will provide culturally relevant school-based learning, develop industry
appropriate skills for employment and assist in closing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students and all students Year 12 attainment rates by 2020.
Tertiary education and training
According to figures from the Queensland Office of Economic and Statistical Research, 21.9 per cent of
the region’s residents aged 15 years and over had a bachelor degree or higher (Queensland, 29.3%),
13.1 per cent had an advanced diploma or diploma (Queensland, 13.9%), and 40.0 per cent had a
certificate (Queensland, 36.6%).
The Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE is the major provider of vocational education and
training in the region, delivering services to more than 13,000 students annually (one in five students is
of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin). The TAFE institute has eight campuses, at Cairns, Innisfail,
Tully, Atherton, Mareeba, Mossman, Thursday Island and Bamaga.
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TAFE delivers more than 400 courses in 30 vocational training areas, providing qualifications ranging
from Certificate I to Advanced Diploma level. The Australian Agricultural College Corporation has a
campus at Mareeba focusing on sustainable agriculture and offering courses in conservation and land
management, agriculture, horticulture, automotive and engineering. There are also a number of
registered training organisations offering training services to industry and the general public.
James Cook University has a major campus in Cairns, with over 4000 students enrolled in discipline areas
including science, medicine and health, law, journalism and languages, engineering, education, creative
arts, business and information technology, arts and social sciences. Student numbers are expected to
grow to 5000 by 2015, and to 10,000 by 2025 as the university undergoes major expansion. The
$19.5 million Cairns Institute, a new institute for advanced studies in sustainable industries, economies,
people and societies in the tropics is due for completion in 2012. In addition, $25 million has been
allocated to establish dental clinical training facilities as part of a four-year $45 million project also due
for completion in 2012.
Central Queensland University is establishing a Distance Education Study Centre in Cairns to further
support students studying health and medical sciences, business, accounting and law, humanities and
built environment and design.
Despite these positive initiatives, the region has a low uptake of tertiary study and a relatively high
number of people holding entry-level certificate qualifications.
Jobs, skills and workforce development
The ABS Labour Force Survey original three month averaged data indicates that, as at December 2012,
the unemployment rate in the Far North Labour Force Region was 8.6 per cent, compared with a rate of
5.8 per cent for Queensland. The participation rate, at 70.3 per cent, is above the state average of
66.3 per cent. The region’s average duration of unemployment is 33 weeks. Unemployment rates in
discrete Indigenous communities are significantly higher due to a lack of local economic activity.
At the time of the 2011 Census, health care and social assistance was the largest employing industry in
the region employing 12.1 per cent of the region’s employed labour force. Retail trade and
accommodation and food services industries also employed relatively large numbers of people with
10.8 per cent and 8.9 per cent of the region’s employed labour force respectively. These industries
typically employ a casual and part-time labour force and can tend to have higher proportions of relatively
low skilled positions, requiring low-level qualifications whilst also having high susceptibility to economic
fluctuations. The reliance on the tourism industry has had a significant impact on the local economy in
recent years due to factors such as natural disasters, overseas events, the high Australian dollar, and
relatively low levels of business confidence following the global financial crisis. The construction industry
across the region has also experienced a significant downturn and has not yet recovered to pre-global
financial crisis levels.
DEEWR employment service area data can be used to identify the industries that experienced the
greatest growth in employment over the five years to 2011. They were health and social assistance,
construction and accommodation, and food services.
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There are economic diversification opportunities for the region. DEEWR data indicates that the industries
with potential for continued growth include:

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
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


agriculture and food production
aviation
creative industries
education
health, community and aged care services
maritime
mining and resources
renewable energy
tropical expertise.
The Queensland Government supports Cairns as a hub to service and supply labour to the resource
sector in Northern Australia and has endorsed the appointment of a Fly-In Fly-Out Coordinator funded by
the Australian Government and employed by SkillsDMC, an industry skills council. The Coordinator is
working with Job Services Australia (JSA) providers and employers to develop training and employment
pathways for job seekers.
There is a large Indigenous population in very remote locations of Cape York and Torres Strait who
experience high levels of unemployment and social disadvantage. DEEWR uses place-based strategies to
try to maximise the reach of its programs to Indigenous people in these very remote communities. They
include working with the Indigenous Coordination Centre and service providers in the remote service
delivery sites of Aurukun, Hopevale, Coen and Mossman Gorge. Local implementation plans are in place
in these communities and the sites are also Cape York Welfare Reform trial sites.
Commencing on 1 July 2013, the new Remote Jobs and Communities Program will provide a more
integrated and flexible approach, providing better participation and employment services for people
living in remote areas of Australia. The new service will become the ‘one stop shop’ for people in remote
Australia currently being assisted by JSA, Disability Employment Services, Indigenous Employment
Program and the Community Development Employment Projects program.
The regions within the Far North Queensland and Torres Strait area that will receive the new service are:

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Aurukun and Coen
Kowanyama and Pormpuraaw
Cook region
Central Cape region
Western Cape region
Western Tablelands region
Northern Peninsula area
Torres Strait Islands
Following the Queensland Government’s decision in July 2012 to cease funding for labour market
programs, a number of strategies in this plan have been amended to remove reliance on partnering or
leveraging those former programs.
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Other characteristics
The region is well serviced by Cairns international airport and access to major shipping lanes; however, it
is relatively lacking in all-weather road and rail infrastructure and has limited public transport.
With increasing interest in Indigenous culture and heritage, there is scope to grow the existing major
industry of tourism. For example, the Mossman Gorge Gateway Centre tourism project north of Cairns is
a major employment and training project for Indigenous people, with traineeships supported by both the
Australian and Queensland governments.
The natural environment is the region’s greatest asset. With abundant fertile soil, plentiful water and
agricultural expertise and experience, there is significant scope for expansion of knowledge industries,
including tropical expertise, biofuels, and tropical health and medicine. In addition, the region has
abundant renewable energy technology inputs in water, sun, wind, geothermal characteristics and
agricultural by-products.
The current expansion of mining activities in the North Eastern Minerals Province and more broadly in
Queensland and Papua New Guinea presents opportunities to grow the associated support services.
Additionally, there is potential for the expansion of seaport infrastructure and for carbon offset
strategies involving farmland and the natural environment.
In December 2011, the Australian Government entered into an historic agreement to develop a genuine
partnership between the three levels of government and community leaders to help Queensland
confront the challenges of an economy in transition. It was agreed the first priority would be the
development of a Northern Queensland Regional Development Strategy.
The aim of the agreement is to improve infrastructure, liveability and economic resilience in these high
growth regional economies through providing skilled and flexible workforces, more affordable housing
and better services. The roll-out of the National Broadband Network in northern Queensland, along with
the Carbon Farming Initiative, both offer diversification opportunities.
The three relevant RDA committees - RDA Far North Queensland and Torres Strait, RDA Townsville and
North West and RDA Mackay and Whitsunday - will work together on the engagement and development
of cross-regional, locally-based strategies. The Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Coordinators of the
three RDA regions will work with the key stakeholders as the plan progresses.
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ISSUES, GOALS AND STRATEGIES
This section sets out the issues and goals identified through local consultation. It also details the specific
strategies that will help achieve the community’s objectives. The issues and strategies will be reviewed
and may be modified throughout the implementation of the plan to June 2014 to ensure they respond to
emerging issues and opportunities or changing community or government priorities in the Far North
Queensland and Torres Strait RDA region.
The programs and stakeholders listed in the following tables are indicative only. Both may vary over time
and any listing does not guarantee either the availability of program funding or stakeholder involvement.
The four key themes of the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans initiative are:

Early childhood education and care

School education

Tertiary education and training

Jobs, skills and workforce development
The numbering of each issue is for ease of reference only and does not indicate its priority within the
region. They are generally sequenced according to the life cycle of the four key themes listed above.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 13
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Issue 1
The availability of adequate, affordable and quality early
childhood education and care places to improve child
development outcomes.
Goals:
Increased awareness among parents, particularly in remote communities, of the
long-term benefits of early childhood education.
Development of the region’s child care workforce to meet the National
Partnership Agreement on Early Childhood Education, including the professional
development necessary to meet the National Quality Framework for Early
Childhood Education and Care.
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs

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


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

Highlight the use of the Australian Early
Development Index website in discussions with
community groups and emphasise the importance
of the developmental measures.
Promote:
o training opportunities for individuals desiring to
enter the child care sector
o the upskilling of existing workers to gain formal
qualifications
o programs and options such as the DEEWR
Recognition of Prior Learning Assessment Tools
and Grants to workers in the early childhood
sector.
Increase the early childhood sectors’ awareness of
the quarterly employment services provider forums
and the Cairns vocational education and training
providers’ network.
Initiate discussions with various service providers
on the value of the Home Interaction Program for
Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) conducted by the
Brotherhood of St Laurence, particularly where
there is demand for child care access.
Conduct an Early Childhood Education and Care
Roundtable in mid-2013 in conjunction with the
Health and Community Services Workforce Council
to assist child care providers to undertake
workforce planning and apply for government
funding and initiatives that may assist them in
meeting the requirement of the National Quality
Framework.

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

Brotherhood of St
Laurence
Centre-based care,
family day care and
out of school hours
care providers
Community Services
and Health Industry
Skills Council
Department of
Education, Training
and Employment
Office for Early
Childhood Education
and Care (Qld)
Disability Employment
Services (DES)
providers
Indigenous
Employment Program
(IEP) panel members
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
Regional registered
training organisations
Tropical North
Queensland Institute
of TAFE


DES
HECS-HELP
HIPPY
IEP
JSA
National Workforce
Development Fund
Recognition of Prior
Learning Assessment
Tools and Grants
TAFE Fee Waiver
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 14
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Issue 2
Retention in education and improvement of transition
pathways for school leavers.
Goal:
To support the establishment of regional partnerships and structures that enable
effective and tailored school retention and work transition options for students.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs




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In conjunction with Department of Education,
Training and Employment (DETE), investigate the
issues causing high student attrition rates and
identify key factors that will improve engagement
and attendance.
Work with the Qld DETE Regional Pathways
coordinator to jointly develop strategies to improve
transition to employment and further education.
Facilitate linkages between public and private
schools in the region to encourage knowledge
sharing, data capture and sharing of successful early
intervention strategies.
Provide ongoing support to the Collaborating for
Indigenous Outcomes in Mareeba group and
Mulungu Aboriginal Corporation to ensure that
appropriate stakeholders and services are linked to
address disengagement.
In conjunction with Job Services Australia (JSA)
providers, the School Business Community
Partnership Broker and Mareeba State High School,
research the options to address high student
disengagement and literacy and numeracy
difficulties for Tablelands youth.
Promote successful apprenticeship programs such
as PASS Australia and SchoolTech, and initiatives
operating at Woree, St Andrews and Atherton high
schools.
Promote Trade Training Centres in Schools (TTCs)
and support local initiatives that link schools, the
community and industry. Assist and support
Smithfield State High School with the TTC proposal
for digital media.
Support the Learn Earn Legend! initiative and assist
in coordinating events (e.g. organising Indigenous
role models to present as guest speakers at local
events and expos).
Initiate and coordinate ongoing meetings of Youth
Attainment and Transitions providers, government
agencies and related stakeholders.
Support Project 2800, a Queensland Government
initiative aimed at providing 2800 positions for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait people in the public
sector by mid-2013, through linking relevant
officers to local schools and youth and transitions
networks.
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Apprenticeship and
Traineeship Taskforce
Atherton State High
School
Business Liaison
Association
Catholic Education
Services
Central Queensland
University
Department of
Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander and
Multicultural Affairs
(Qld)
Department of
Human Services
Department of Justice
and Attorney-General
(Qld)
DETE (Qld)
Disability Employment
Services (DES)
providers
Human resource
practitioners network
James Cook University
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
Mareeba State High
School
Mulungu Aboriginal
Corporation
PASS Australia
Public Service
Commission (Qld)
School Business
Community
Partnership Broker
Smithfield State High
School
Tourism Tropical
North Queensland
Tropical North
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Australian
Apprenticeships
DES
JSA
Learn Earn Legend!
initiative
Learning Earning
Active Places Strategy
Parental and
Community
Engagement Program
PASS Australia
Project 2800
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
SchoolTech 2012
Trade Training
Centres in Schools
Youth Connections
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 15
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Strategies
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Stakeholders
Assist the local Learning Earning Active Places
project officer in developing joint activities in
industries with growth potential.
Engage with James Cook University and Central
Queensland University to identify and implement
initiatives in local high schools to increase
enrolments.
Investigate the option of Queensland Ambulance
Service linkages (traineeships/ cadetships)
especially for Indigenous students.
In conjunction with vocational education providers,
employers and industry representatives, investigate
options to provide tailored work experience that
will assist school leavers in becoming more work
ready.

Programs
Queensland Institute
of TAFE
VET Coordinators
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 16
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Issue 3
Closing the Gap for Indigenous Australians, in particular
increasing education and employment outcomes for Indigenous
people, including those in remote communities.
Goal:
To increase employment opportunities specifically targeted at Indigenous job
seekers, especially in larger infrastructure/capital works projects.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs
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In consultation with Indigenous and mainstream
employment service providers, the Local
Employment Coordinator (LEC), the Qld
Department of Education, Training and
Employment (DETE) and other relevant
stakeholders, develop project concepts and
encourage collaborative funding opportunities.
Identify and promote Indigenous employment and
Indigenous economic development opportunities
through working with stakeholders, including the
Department of Families, Housing, Community
Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), LECs,
DETE and Regional Development Australia (RDA),
with particular focus on projects such as the remote
Indigenous housing rollout, southern access
highway upgrade and Cairns Indigenous Arts Fair.
Work with the DETE Cape York Employment and
Training Strategy, Vocational Education and
Training Coordinator and coastal shipping company
Sea Swift to establish support for up to 10
scholarships/ cadetships in 2013 for Thursday Island
students while they maintain their school
attendance.
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DETE (Qld)
Disability Employment
Services (DES)
providers
FaHCSIA
Indigenous
Employment Program
(IEP) panel members
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
LEC
Mulungu Aboriginal
Corporation
RDA Far North
Queensland and
Torres Strait
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DETE Cape York
Employment and
Training Strategy
DES
IEP
Indigenous wage
subsidy
Indigenous Youth
Career Pathways
Program
Indigenous Youth
Mobility Program
JSA
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 17
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Issue 4
The need to improve access to, and information about,
Australian Government programs that provide support for
businesses, particularly in regard to workforce training and
development.
Goal:
Employers actively participate in supporting employment and skilling
opportunities to develop the local workforce and utilise existing programs.
Theme(s):
Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs
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In partnership with the Local Employment
Coordinator (LEC), create stronger linkages
between employers, Job Services Australia (JSA)
and Disability Employment Services (DES) providers
and registered training organisations (RTOs) at the
scheduled employer and job seeker events. These
include the Queensland Apprenticeship Services
employer evening; the Business Liaison Association
Expo, the jobs and skills expos; and National Skills
Week activities.
In conjunction with Cairns Chamber of Commerce
and the Business Enterprise Centre conduct a follow
up employer event in 2013 to highlight options for
employing apprentices and training options for
current employees.
Continue to participate in and support the
Apprenticeship and Traineeship Taskforce
(developed by the LEC as part of the Far North
Queensland Skills Formation Strategy) through
ongoing research and provision of relevant
information on DEEWR programs and funding
opportunities.
Promote government labour market and skilling
programs to industry, employer groups, training
organisations and JSA and DES providers at regional
network meetings.
Identify growth industries and emerging skills gaps
and jointly develop project proposals for workforce
development.
Promote the importance of foundation skills to
job seekers and existing workers, especially
language, literacy and numeracy, and facilitate
workshops with service providers if uptake of
places in programs such as the Skills for Education
and Employment (SEE) formerly known as
Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program (LLNP)
and Workplace English Language and Literacy
(WELL) is low.
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Advance Cairns
Construction Skills
Queensland
Department of
Education, Training
and Employment
(Qld)
Department of
Industry, Innovation,
Climate Change,
Science, Research and
Tertiary Education
DES providers
JSA providers
LEC
Manufacturing Skills
Queensland
Queensland
Apprenticeship
Services
RTOs
Skill360 Australia
Tourism Tropical
North Queensland
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DES
Far North Queensland
Skills Formation
Strategy
JSA
National Workforce
Development Fund
SEE
WELL
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 18
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Issue 5
Disadvantaged people, including youth, the long-term
unemployed and Indigenous Australians, face challenges in
actively participating in, and benefiting from, the regional
economy.
Goal:
Improve the capacity of those in disadvantaged groups to take up opportunities
in expanding industries, including mining, marine, aviation, tropical expertise,
health and community services.
Theme(s):
Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs
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Collaborate with the Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO)
Coordinator and the Local Employment Coordinator
(LEC) in organising events to promote resource
sector employment opportunities.
Work with the LEC, SkillsDMC, TAFE institute and
local employers to facilitate skill sets training and
the attainment of requisite hours for ticketed
occupations for job seekers and existing workers.
Provide opportunities for emerging industries to
highlight their diverse career options through
presentations at the regular meetings of the Youth
Attainment and Transitions group and facilitate
their engagement with state and independent high
schools.
Work with the Cape York Strategy Manager and the
Regional Organisation of Councils (Cooktown) to
highlight National Workforce Development Fund
opportunities and identify School Based
Apprenticeships and Traineeship for students
boarding in the region.
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Advance Cairns
Creative Industries
Skills Council
Department of
Industry, Innovation,
Climate Change,
Science, Research and
Tertiary Education
Disability Employment
Services (DES)
providers
FIFO Coordinator
James Cook University
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
LEC
Mining Industry Skills
Centre
Tropical North
Queensland Institute
of TAFE
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Australian
Government Skills
Connect
DES
JSA
National Workforce
Development Fund
Trade Training
Centres in Schools
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 19
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APPENDICES
Appendix A — Stakeholders
Below is a list of organisations consulted during the development of this RESJ Plan, listed by sector.
Sector
Stakeholder
Local government
Cairns Regional Council; Cassowary Coast Regional Council; Tablelands Regional
Council; Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council.
State government
Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services; Department
of Education, Training and Employment; Department of Justice and AttorneyGeneral; Human resource practitioners group; Skilling Solutions Queensland.
Australian Government
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Education
Catholic Education Services – Diocese of Cairns; Department of Education,
Training and Employment (Qld).
Vocational education and
training
Queensland Apprenticeship Services; Skill360 Australia; Tropical North
Queensland Institute of TAFE.
Higher education
James Cook University.
Youth
School Business Community Partnership Brokers; Youth Connections.
Employment
Brotherhood of St Laurence; Disability Employment Services; Job Services
Australia; SkillsDMC; Skills Queensland North Queensland steering committee.
Indigenous organisations
Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs.
Regional development
Regional Development Australia Far North Queensland and Torres Strait.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 20
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Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies
This section includes some of the related strategic plans in the region which have:

influenced the direction of this RESJ Plan

have complementary goals and strategies and/or

have significance in the region in relation to education, skills and jobs.
It provides an overview of how each strategy or plan has had an impact on this RESJ Plan and how it may
be utilised to maximise outcomes.
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Regional Development Australia
Far North Queensland and Torres
Strait Regional Roadmap
The Regional Roadmap identifies
six key pillars:
 economic vitality
 world-class sustainable natural
and cultural resource
management
 visionary and enabling built
Infrastructure
 inclusive planning and delivery
of community services
 empowered people through
knowledge and skills
 reconceptualising regionalism.
The Queensland Regionalisation
Strategy identifies the following
long-term priorities to promote
the growth of the Far North
Queensland region:
 supporting a diversified
economy
 supporting innovation across
the economic zones of tropical
expertise, tourism, agriculture
and energy
 developing a strong skills base
and connecting people to
employment
 improving transport
infrastructure
 continuing to position the
region as a service and supply
hub for the Asia-Pacific.
Queensland Regionalisation
Strategy
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
This Regional Education Skills and
Jobs (RESJ) Plan will support the
actions identified in the regional
roadmap, particularly
‘empowering people through
knowledge and skills’. The regional
education, skills and jobs
coordinator will work in
conjunction with Regional
Development Australia to support
the priorities identified in the
roadmap.
This RESJ Plan will particularly
support the development of a
strong skills base and assist in
connecting people to employment.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 21
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Priority Employment Area initiative
– Cairns priority employment area
Regional Employment Plan
The Regional Employment Plan has
the following six goals:
1. Support employment,
workforce participation and
skills development including
through maximising
Government investments.
2. Help retrenched workers
transition into new
employment and/or training.
3. Facilitate employment and
training opportunities for job
seekers, including
disadvantaged groups, with a
focus on industries
experiencing skills shortages.
4. Increase access for local job
seekers, apprentices and
trainees to employment
opportunities resulting from
the resource industry
expansion in and beyond the
Cairns priority employment
area by local jobseekers,
apprentices and trainees.
5. Assist to develop the skills and
capacity of the Cairns priority
employment area’s workforce.
6. Help to build the employment
capacity of the Cairns priority
employment area’s growth
industries.
The Skills Formation Strategy
framework provides a forum for
industry members from across Far
North Queensland to:
o lead the development of
activities to address workforce
issues and support business
goals
o engage with key stakeholders
to develop innovative
solutions
o develop ongoing industry,
regionally owned processes
that are able to address labour
and workforce issues into the
future.
Skills Formation Strategy (Advance
Cairns)
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
This RESJ Plan supports goals 1, 4
and 5 of the Cairns Regional
Employment Plan.
This RESJ Plan will link closely with
the Skills Formation Strategy in
addressing workforce issues and in
pursuing greater uptake of
apprenticeships and traineeships
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 22
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Tropical North Queensland
Regional Economic Plan
2011-2031
The Tropical North Queensland
(TNQ) Regional Economic Plan
identifies the following 10
strategies:
1. Actively promote priority
growth opportunities.
2. Strengthen and diversify the
region’s tourism industry and
destination appeal.
3. Strengthen the primary
production sector and build
market opportunities.
4. Strengthen the small business
sector.
5. Attract and enable industry
and enterprise investment.
6. Ensure optimal transport
linkages to facilitate the
movement of people and
product export to domestic
and international markets.
7. Position TNQ as a digital
economy.
8. Position the region as a leader
in sustainable economic
development.
9. Develop the skills and capacity
of the region’s workforce now
and into the future.
10. Develop a confident and
united region that projects
positivity and cohesiveness.
Developed by Advance Cairns in
collaboration with local,
Queensland and Australian
Governments, James Cook
University, Regional Development
Australia (Far North Queensland
and Torres Strait) and Tourism
Tropical North Queensland.
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
This RESJ Plan supports many of
these strategies that look to
strengthen and diversify the
region’s economy, particularly,
aligning with strategy 9 ‘Develop
the skills and capacity of the
region’s workforce now and into
the future’.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 23
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) Coordinator
As part of the National Resource
Sector Workforce Strategy, a FIFO
Coordinator has been appointed in
Cairns to help connect suitable
workers in the region with
available mining and construction
jobs in remote locations. This
includes:
 assist companies attract and
connect potential employees
to available work on mining,
construction and
infrastructure projects in
remote areas;
 establish training and
employment pathways for
suitable job seekers and
workers affected by industry
restructuring; and
 link companies operating
remotely with airline and
airport services, to facilitate
the connection of FIFO
workers.
The TEP will deliver practical, cost
effective solutions to address
immediate to mid-term labour and
skills shortages. Contractors will
work with the local tourism
industry and local government
agencies to link tourism and
hospitality firms with existing and
prospective government and
industry programs.
Tropical North Queensland
Tourism Employment Plan (TEP)
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
This RESJ Plan will complement
this role by providers of
employment and training services
to the FIFO Coordinator
The RESJ Coordinator will monitor
the progress of the TEP and
identify complementary strategies.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 24
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
National Partnership Agreement
on Remote Service Delivery
The National Partnership
Agreement on Remote Service
Delivery was signed by the
Commonwealth, New South
Wales, Queensland, Western
Australia, South Australia and the
Northern Territory in January
2009. This is a commitment by
governments to work with
Indigenous communities to
improve the delivery of services to
29 priority remote communities.
The aim is to improve access to
government services and facilities,
raise the quality of these services,
and better support Indigenous
community governance and
leadership. The broad objectives
are:
 to improve Indigenous
families' access to a range of
government services
 to raise these services to the
standard provided to other
Australians living in
communities of similar size
and location
 to improve governance and
leadership within the
communities, including among
Indigenous community
organisations to achieve
better coordinated
government services
 to increase economic and
social participation wherever
possible and promote
personal responsibility and
positive behaviours.
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
This RESJ Plan will support the
broad objectives of the
Agreement.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 25
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ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation
Full Term
ABS
Australian Bureau of Statistics
AEDI
Australian Early Development Index
DEEWR
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
DES
Disability Employment Service
DETE
Department of Education, Training and Employment (Qld)
FaHCSIA
Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
FIFO
Fly-In Fly-Out
HIPPY
Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters
IEP
Indigenous Employment Program
IRC
Indigenous Ranger Cadetship
JSA
Job Services Australia
LEC
Local Employment Coordinator
RDA
Regional Development Australia
RESJ
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
RTO
Registered training organisation
SEE
Skills for Education and Employment
TEP
Tourism Employment Plan
TNQ
Tropical North Queensland
TTC
Trade Training Centre
VET
Vocational Education and Training
WELL
Workplace English Language and Literacy
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far North Queensland and Torres Strait 26
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